


Merrill and Spirits

by GreyCatbird



Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: Blood Magic, Self Harm, Spirits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-27
Updated: 2017-10-27
Packaged: 2019-01-23 21:05:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12516568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreyCatbird/pseuds/GreyCatbird
Summary: Based on the Here Lies The Abyss prompt from dahalloween on tumblr.  Merrill interacting with different spirits.





	Merrill and Spirits

Merrill looked at the shard of mirror in her hand.  The tiny piece of glass that had taken her friends. One ill beyond repair of the Keeper’s knowledge.  The other disappeared without a trace. Whenever she asked the Keeper about the mirror she would say some things are forgotten for a reason. She has dedicated her life to knowing everything about her people’s history and this one thing has been left out on purpose. The thing that would give her more information about why he friends were gone.  She grabbed the hunting knife from her belt and traced a thin line down her wrist.  Tiny bubbles of blood came out of the red line, it wasn’t much but it was enough.  She felt the spirits clamour over the fresh blood.

“Hello I’m looking for knowledge.” She politely told the group

“Of how to kill your enemies?” one asked

“Of how to win your heart’s desire?” asked another

“No, no,” she responded “I’m looking for information about this.”

She held up the piece of mirror, the spirits shifted around the gap in the fade to see.

“A piece of an eluvian,” one responded “tainted from the looks of it.  You’ll want to cleanse it or bad things will happen.”

“I know,” Merrill responded quietly “I’ve seen what happens. Do you know how?”

“Not I,” said the spirit “but someone far more powerful lives at the top of the mountain they would know. While I may not be able to cleanse it I could offer you-

“No thank you.” She waved her hand, dismissing the spirits and closing the entrance to the fade “I’m quite alright, you can go now.”

She wrapped her wrist up and looked at the mountain, determination setting in.

 

 

Merrill avoided looking at her new companions as they approached the barrier on Sundermont.  

“One moment, I can open the way forward.” In one swift movement she slid the knife across her wrist feeling the power in her blood and the spirit respond.

“Hello mage how can I h-” she heard the spirit in her head say.

“Just need a bit of help with this barrier please.” She politely thought back.

“Of course” it responded sending power up her spine that she pushed forward into the barrier, shredding the magic in front of her. “I could give you more magic if you w-”

“No thank you, I’m quite alright. You can go now.” she thought while waving her hand dismissing the spirit.

“Blood magic?” Hawke asked their voice on edge.  Merrill sighed and readied herself to defend her choices.

 

 

Merrill was thrown back as the ancient rock wraith launched stones towards her and her friends.  This time she didn’t even need her knife, the throw had opened a cut on her elbow.  She grabbed the spirit and quickly asked for the power she needed to help save her friends.  The spirit was of course happy to help.  The fight raged on as she called for the ground and rock to move to her will, pushing boulders off their course as the wraith tried to crush her friends.  Hawke delivered the final blow, jumping from a rock she had raised to land a hit on the wraith’s heart. She slumped down on the ground smiling proudly at her friends, happy there had all survived the fight.

“You and your friends are stuck.” She heard the spirit say “I could help you escape from-”

“No thank you, I’m quite alright.” She dismissed the spirit with a wave of her hand as she stood up to rejoin her friends. “You may go now.”

 

 

Merrill sat in her house staring at her hands.

“Pol thought I was a monster. That I was to be feared.” She said quietly not sure if talking to herself or to Hawke.  “All because the Keeper told everyone I carry the taint.  All I’ve done is search for knowledge.  I thought surely the Keeper would understand eventually the importance of what I was doing, but instead she told them to stay away from me. He ran from me.  Straight into the Vaterral.  His fear of me killed him.” She sat numbly. It all felt so unreal. How could she be more terrifying than the creature that killed three of the clan’s hunters.

“Merrill…” a voice near her head said quietly. “How about I stay here tonight, make you dinner and-”

“No thank you,” she responded automatically “I’m quite alright, you can go now.” She waved her hand dismissing the spirit.  The spirit paused before walking away.  Instead of leaving to go back into the fade it walked across her apartment, paused at the door giving her a final look before leaving.


End file.
